Departure & Discovery

Over the past five centuries, composers as early as in their 30s or as late as in their 80s have found new forms of expression in the final stages of life. Still more interesting, the changes are not consistent from composer to composer: some became more concise, others more expansive. Some composers became fixated on death, others revealed a child-like innocence. Some wrote their most adventurous music, while others turned back in pursuit of greater clarity and economy.

It is this sense of change—of new directions at the peak of creative and life maturity—that was the genesis for a special collaboration between noted pianist Jonathan Biss and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society during the 2016-17 Season. A generous grant from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage provided the support for this unique cross-medium project that featured three Perelman Theater concerts (with guest artists), a public panel discussion, a new Amazon Kindle Single, podcast, blog series, and master classes for students. We invite you to explore late style and its impact as an altogether universal human experience.